


Stay in the Saddle

by Onehelluvapilot



Series: Tumblr prompt fics [38]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt Lancelot (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort, Injury, Protective Percival (Merlin)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:07:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27845725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot
Summary: Lancelot is wounded in an attack and Percival rushes to get him back to Camelot.
Relationships: Lancelot & Percival (Merlin)
Series: Tumblr prompt fics [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922554
Comments: 2
Kudos: 10





	Stay in the Saddle

**Author's Note:**

> I'm realizing that this is very similar to the previous work I just posted. It was done for the same tumblr prompt ("stay with me" for a set of fainting prompts) so maybe that's why

Getting Lancelot into the saddle was the easy part, since Percival was tall and strong enough to just lift him up and onto it. Keeping him there was the tricky part. Lance himself was usually a talented rider, when he wasn't swaying with blood loss instead of the horse's movement, but today he was counting on Percival, and the big knight wasn't good with animals. Riding had been the hardest skill for him to learn since becoming a knight six months ago. His home village had had a few horses, but they were for plowing more than riding, and he and Lancelot had been far too broke to afford horses and instead had traveled by foot before coming to Camelot. Since being knighted, he'd become reasonably comfortable on horseback, although he wasn't going to be jousting any time soon. But he was terrified about his ability to keep not just himself but Lance as well in the saddle as they tried to make their way as quickly as possible back towards home.

Swinging up behind Lancelot, he gently pulled the injured and semi-conscious knight up from where he had been bent over the horse's neck and coaxed him to lean back against his chest instead. That way he could hold him firmly with his arms wrapped around his waist while also holding the reins. It felt secure enough for now as he kicked the horse into a walk, but the arrangement would only hold for as long as Lance could keep himself upright. The second he passed out completely he would begin to list one way or the other and Percival wouldn't be able to hold him up like that. If he didn't fall and hurt himself worse, it would still delay them. They couldn't afford a delay. The would in Lancelot's stomach was bleeding less than before, but it was still too much, especially given how much blood he'd already lost. Though he was making an admirable effort to stay awake, his eyelids felt heavier after each time he pried them open.

"Stay with me," Percival begged when he felt the smaller knight nod forwards in the saddle. "We're going home. I just need you to hold on until we can get there."

"Alright," Lancelot said, his voice raspy and quieter than a whisper. "I'll try." Percy kicked the horse up into a trot at this reassurance. He could feel blood soaking into his sleeve near the elbow where it rested against Lance's wound and the already saturated bandage tied around it.

"Talk to me," he begged when the silence became too much. He could feel that Lancelot was still alive by his labored breaths where his back pressed to his chest, but not knowing more, even if the knight was still conscious, was nonetheless terrifying. "How do you feel?"

"Lightheaded," Lance admitted. "Doesn't hurt much though."

Percival knew enough to know that that wasn't good, and he tightened his arms a little more around his friend. He wished he could make the horse go faster, but he wasn't confident enough in his ability to keep Lancelot in the saddle at a canter. Instead, he focused on trying to keep him awake. The knight stopped responding to him verbally, but his hands were still clenched in the horse's mane and he would groan every once in awhile. Possessing a willpower most men could only dream of, he managed to hang onto consciousness all the way back to Camelot, and only passed out when he was taken down from the horse and cradled safely in Percival's arms.


End file.
